DS just bum shuffled and I could cry

[Zzxxyyzz]

I desperately don’t want him to be a bum shuffler but I knew it was likely to be on the cards because he has always hated tummy time and was pretty late to roll.

Bum shuffling is linked to all sorts of developmental delay, dyspraxia, dyslexia etc. I’ve just read a study that stated half of bum shufflers went on to be diagnosed with ASD.

I just feel very sad that I can see a tricky future mapped out for him. I will forever ask myself if we could have done more to encourage tummy time but in the early days he just screamed and screamed and in the later days he was just not fussed about it and would roll onto his back.

Crawling is so important for developing visual acuity, handwriting, visual spatial skills etc. I am just absolutely heartbroken for him.

DH bless him doesn’t have a clue about the implications and is sitting there cheering him and proudly videoing it 😔 I’ve had to come out of the room I just feel sick and so gutted.

I'm sorry you're so worried OP, but honestly there's nothing to worry about 🌺 He probably won't have ASD, and even if he did it absolutely wouldn't be because you didn't do more tummy time with him, there's no way not being on his tummy could cause it. Just because you've seen one small study that doesn't extrapolate generally, studies have all sorts of flaws and reasons why they don't apply more generally.

@Zzxxyyzz I haven’t RTFT (only your replies) so apologies if this has already been suggested.

Please watch the Bluey episode Baby Race (it’s only about 7 minutes long!); I happened to watch it when I was having a really tough time with postnatal anxiety and comparing my DS to other babies his age. It honestly made me feel so much better, and I made a conscious effort to stop comparing and start just enjoying watching my baby grow.

I know it sounds ridiculous to suggest that a cartoon about a family of dogs would make any difference to the way you’re feeling, but do give it a go!

Step away from google op!

Agreed. Parents don't need this kind of anxiety inducing nonsense fed to them

I so agree. There is so much out there to cause people worry. And so much of it is nonsense from fringe groups with a bee in their bonnet.

Please do not spoil these lovely early months with you wonderful baby worrying about something that is no problem at all. Children find their feet vai lots of different routes - my baby sister rolled everywhere for months!

I see alot of "may" and "could" and "possibly" there and no definite statements.

@Zzxxyyzz could you post a link to the research please?

If you go to Google Scholar, you can search various keywords such as bottom/bum shuffling, crawling, dyspraxia, DCD, dyslexia and so on. It will come up with a plethora of studies (along with some book chapters, and yes I do understand where these fit in on the ‘research quality’ ladder!).

You can also go on a main Google search and do the same keywords along with NHS. Here, you will find some training materials (PPTs and the like) where bum shuffling is described as a ‘red flag’ to look out for, along with late rolling and the like.

So many posts attacking me and saying I’m making it up. I’m not. If you have any physio friends - ask them. If you know any paediatricians - ask them. There is a known link, bum shuffling is a factor associated with a number of developmental delays.

I’m not saying it’s a cause (although the skills learned in crawling can help mitigate some difficulties), I’m saying it’s a symptom and a sign.

Absolutely no need for the pile on last night, if you took part then I think you need to ask yourself why you think it’s okay to use your words like that to a clearly anxious and worried mother.

Thank you for the supportive, kind posts.

I’m off to cuddle my amazing, wonderful and gorgeous DS.

PS, I have indeed watched the Bluey episode in the past (when I was concerned about him not yet crawling!). I won’t be watching it again because of course in that episode, the little one does crawl in the end..!

Have a great Monday everyone.

Sorry @Zzxxyyzzbut you’re the one whipping up entirely unnecessary fear in others and, quite frankly, been extremely insulting and upsetting to others whose children so have ASD (mine included - she’s a very bright, entirely capable young lady) by making out it’s the worse thing in the world.

I would strongly encourage you to seek help for your mental health, it is very clear to everyone who has read this that this is not a normal reaction and you’re hyperfixated and also unwilling to hear any count evidence.

I suggest you report your own post and ask for it to be removed for your own and others sake. It’s one of the most upsetting and frustrating posts I’ve read in a long time time.

Saying “I just feel very sad that I can see a tricky future mapped out for him” isn’t insulting and it isn’t whipping anything up. Don’t be so silly.

It’s likely that he is going to have a trickier future with things we need to navigate in order to get him the support he needs.

It’s okay for me to acknowledge that.

Wow, so the research is total nonsense

I was a bum shuffler and very late to finally learn to walk (almost 3!)
I don't have top-notch physical skills - always last in every race on sports day. It turns out I'm hyper-mobile, so simply put, my joints and core strength aren't as good as they could be.
But I have a post-graduate degree and am as neurotypical as they come.

With all due respect, this sounds like made-up "science".

Please get some help for your anxiety. You cannot see what others are clearly seeing in this thread.

And I - and everyone else - don’t think I am
the one being silly here….!

Oh gosh, who’d have thought it!

This is what over diagnosing does for us all. Makes us all neurotic about every single thing and every single thing is catastrophic. This is why I have carcinophobia.

OP, you can't diagnose off of one thing and you can't diagnose off another individuals diagnosis.

There is a known link, bum shuffling is a factor associated with a number of developmental delays.
I’m not saying it’s a cause (although the skills learned in crawling can help mitigate some difficulties), I’m saying it’s a symptom and a sign.

I was told this as well - but mine crawled and walked and talked early with wide vocab- and then hit problems later with school - they've still done well - two at university - all done well in exams.

So having spotted a flag now you find all the fun activties that help with hand to eye co-ordination and find motor control - sticking glueing - ball games - threading, threading beads - play doh - find things like write from the start in a bit.

Dmum had huge guilt when I was diagonsed because I didn't crawl at all - they used a walker and I went straight to walking - but they didn't know and frankly from my veiw point it was more the over reaction when I fell/stummbled drop stuff and stopping me doing things becuase they assume I'd struggle that I felt did more harm.

The Association of Paediatric Physiotherapists say its a normal variation and offer some advice about getting from bum shuffle to stand/walk including a variation on tummy time that you may not have tried. https://apcp.csp.org.uk/system/files/publication_files/APCP%20Bottom%20Shuffling%20AUG%202024.pdf

this one basically says that there is no statistical difference between idiopathic bottom shufflers who received treatment and who didn't and both showed normal motor performance in childhood. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0031940605612096

from what I have found, bum shuffling is described as a normal variation.

from what I have found, bum shuffling is described as a normal variation.

I was being told this decades ago when I was diagonsed with dyspraxia and when my DC were young and they are at uni age now.

So I can well believe more recent research no longer has it as a link - mean my own ancadata from RL says it's not.

But I don't think it fair to ridicule the OP for thinking this as so many posters are doing - mean pointing her in direction of more update information is a great idea - and many have done this.

Op clearly still worried - and my advice would be to be proactive and just make sure fun activites that help with co-ordiantaion are done - TBH most kids do them anyway - it won't hurt and try and look at the postives he's now moving on his own - and that's a massive thing.

If she's really worried still she should talk to her HV or GP.

People aren't saying you made it up. They're saying the research isn't robust and it would be silly to read too much into it.

The evidence for it being a symptom of anything is paper thin. If you let yourself get worked up about this you're setting yourself up for a long period of anxiety as you watch your child grow.

It's not likely because you don't know he's going to have any problems at this point.

The future is nothing of the sort.

Even the very dubious research you linked to shows more children who didn’t get diagnosed as autistic than those who did.

And as for scolding everyone, words have consequences. If you’re going to spout factually misleading, ableist stuff, then it shouldn’t be a surprise when people are offended.

You’re still not listening. You’ve convinced yourself that you need to prepare for a “tricky future” and completely ignoring the abundance of research that suggests that might be the case.

Many people have tried to reassure you with cold, hard facts but you’re absolutely determined to believe the worst for some inexplicable reason.

ITA @Zonder

You don’t seem open to questioning the details of the research OP, you only want to argue with the idea that it’s completely fabricated.

I know because I am a massive worrier myself that you won’t do well in the next few years unless you can put this in perspective. I repeat my earlier point that even if your DS turns out to be entirely typical, this is not the only ‘marker’ he will display. Brace yourself!

Bum shuffling can be an indication of things like hypermobility and hypotonia but I don’t think its particularly associated with autism.

It’s a tricky one as sometimes kids are just developing at their own pace and other times there is an issue that would benefit from physio. My daughter was a bum shuffler and has hypotonia. She definitely would have benefited from earlier access to physio but it’s very difficult to get taken seriously by the NHS until they are 18 months or even 2 years.

I missed whether your child is weight bearing but if they are not in a few months it might be worth pushing for more help. If they are weight bearing it’s less likely to be a concern.